I’ve been thinking small lately. To be specific, I’ve been thinking about small foundations and the immense power they hold. I’ve just finished presenting at Exponent Philanthropy’s conference and met a number of highly engaged and courageous small-foundation grantmakers who are eager to tap into their own power for change. I led a workshop for […]
The Power of Small Read More »
This is a guest post by Allen Smart, vice president of programs, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. In a New York Times opinion piece earlier this year by Dr. Adam Grant, a Wharton management and psychology professor, Grant put forward the argument that real innovation comes not from endless practice and refinement but from creating
Creativity is the Missing Ingredient Read More »
Much has been written about efforts to “streamline” foundation application processes – reducing the number of hoops applicants must jump through, right-sizing applications to the grant amounts, and asking questions in such a way that the answers are truly useful for funder decision making. But extraordinary grantmakers move beyond streamlining applications and grant reports to
The Art of Streamlining Read More »
This week, I’m taking a quick time-out from my regular blog posts to share some exciting news. I am honored to have been named one of America’s Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers by Philanthropy Media! I was chosen from a survey of more than 25,000 philanthropy experts who submitted more than 1,000 names. To say I
Kris Putnam-Walkerly Named “Top 25 Philanthropy Speaker” Read More »
There was a time not too long ago when you rarely heard the word “foundation” and “risk” in the same sentence…or paragraph…or entire document. Risk simply hasn’t been something formally and broadly associated with philanthropy over the past few decades. However, it’s become pretty obvious to many people that the traditional ways of grantmaking are
3 Ways Foundations Squash Risk-Taking Read More »
Foundations have a unique and important role to play as a convenor. They can provide neutral ground for discussion. They have the social capital to compel attendance. And if all else fails, they usually have the budget for better-than-average meeting food. But I believe that foundations also have a responsibility to use their convening power
To Convene or Not to Convene? 4 ways to make the most of coming together Read More »